Sneakerology Sketches

My project revolves around an athlete that many of you may know: Barry Larkin. Barry was the versatile and long-standing shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds from 1986 to 2004. He was one of the most well-rounded players major league baseball has ever seen; he was a three-time Golden Glover, a nine-time Silver Slugger, and one of only 37 members in the elite 30-30 club (30 home runs and 30 steals in one season). Needless to say, when Barry was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, the only thing on peoples' minds was, ""It's about time.""

Larkin's smooth blend of power, speed, and technique is perfect translated to a shoe. Seamless transitions between materials (hyperfuse manufacturing?) and bold hits of color represent his style of play, while paying homage to his Cincinnati heritage and his Cincinnati team. My inspiration boards are full of everything from architecture to material treatments to simple color studies, anything that I think represents Larkin as a player and the shoe that would do him justice in cementing his legacy. Check it out here:http://pinterest.com/alexhart7/sneakerology-inspiration-barry-larkin/

I started sketching on my aforementioned idea and I think I've settled on a simplistic chukka-style silhouette, utilizing premium materials and construction. Here's the link to some sketch pages I've done:http://imgur.com/a/00DwA